Evidence of the Ancestry of Catharine Young

19 Pages·2010·0.1 MB·English

Evidence of the Ancestry of Catharine Young from the Obituary of her
Grandson Warner Henry Nelles: Mohawk - Wyandot
by
DavidK.Faux
ObituaryofWarnerHenryNelles, 1896:
Col. Warner H. Nelles, was born 1799 on the Grand River Six Nations Indian Reserve,
the son of Lt. John Young’s daughter Elizabeth (Young) Nelles and husband Warner
Nelles. Warner H. Nelles was the nephew of Joseph Young, who was mentioned as
being “one of our people” in a deed from the Six Nations in 1838. Warner H. Nelles was
also thefirst cousinoftheauthor's ancestorRachel (Young)Young.
Thekeysegment from his obituaryof12October1896reads (withemphasis added):
His popularity as a young man may be judged when, being only seventeen, he
was madeachiefofatribeofIndians calledtheBeavers. Upon thedeath ofthe
old chief, they saluted him as Tahanata, and the chain of wampum they threw
over his head is still in the family. Up to the end of his death he was still
recognized as chief, though the tribe is greatly scattered (Haldimand County
Museum,DorothyHuttonCollectionN-1-4).
Clearly Warner H. Nelles was eligible, by descent from his mother and maternal
grandmother, to inherit a title as a chief of the Six Nations, There being no foundation for
the common belief that white men are made chiefs of any kind when Indians adopt such
persons, or confer anameonthosewhomtheywish tocompliment (Boyle,1898,p.176).
The name Tahanata and Age of Installation: Click here to view the more
comprehensive study which located evidence that the Young – Nelles family were
members of the Six Nations, and linked most particularly to the Mohawk Nation. There
are 50 hereditary sachem titles of the Six Nations. Nine names are specific to the
Mohawks, and none of the latter titles is “Tahanata” or anysimilar name. However at the
timeofNelles’installation,therewas asingleexception.
A list of "Mohawks Principle Chiefs" was created by Chief George Martin for the Indian
Department 22 February 1815 (i.e., about two years before Nelles was made chief) and
included the names of the holders of the three hereditarysachemship titles for each of the
Turtle, Wolf and Bear Tribes (Clans), and the associated War Chiefs for each sachem
(Archives of Canada, MG19, F1, Claus Papers, Vol. 10, p. 153). Number 3 in the Bear
Tribe is John Johnson Astawenserontha (Captain Seth Hill died in 1808). While it is not
entirely clear who this John Johnson is, it could be the John, brother of Seth Hill (but
using the first name of his father as a surname – verycommon amongMohawks and their
neighbors the Dutch). This Johannes, born to John and Wari (Mary), was baptized 19
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January 1751 at Ft. Hunter. The associated "War Chief" was John Green
Aronghyenghtha. While this individual would appear to be the Johannes, son of
Johannes Crine and Neeltie baptized 19 May 1755 at Ft. Hunter. The father Johannes
Senior was a member of the Astawenserontha Bear Clan family. Hence Johannes Junior,
in theory, could not become chief of his father’s Owachira (maternal clan). The matter is
confusing,andbest left alonesinceit is peripheral tothemainfocus ofthis story.
Oddly, here the Bear Tribe was shown as having four hereditary sachem titles with #3.
Astawenserontha and #4. Tahatonne linked together via a bracket thus }. Since time out
of mind there have been three Turtle Clan titles, three Wolf Clan titles, and three Bear
Clan titles - and no more – except circa 1815. A hypothesized reason for this exception
at this particular time will be given later. It is also noted (e.g., Hale, 1881; Tooker, 1978)
that there were so – called “pine tree” chiefs elected from time to time due to merit, but
the title died with the original holder. Each Principal Chief had an associated War Chief
(as seen in the 1815 Martin document), also appointed by the Clan Mothers, but the title
also died with the chief. There was also a class of sub – chiefs to assist the Principal
Chief with his duties – also appointed bythe Clan Mother. But Tahatonne / Tahanatawas
a “Principle Chief” (sic) who may have started in another category but was elevated (for
reasons noted elsewhere) to almost equivalent to, in this case, Astawenserontha. So
Tahatonne - Tahanata first may have been essentially a “special advisor” to the more
senior sachem who held the title of Astawenserontha. However it is unique to have a list
with 10 Principal Chiefs (hereditarysachems) amongthe Mohawk, givingthe Bear Clan /
Tribe a numerical advantage (also in the number of War Chiefs with 5 in contrast to the 3
fortheTurtleandWolfClans / Tribes). ClickheretoseetheMartindocument.
The spelling differences (Nelles obituary - Tahanata; and Martin document - Tahatonne)
could reflect a simple switching of the last two syllables in the name. It can be assumed
that the Nelles obituary informant was most likely one of his children or grandchildren,
all of whom were born and raised in St. Catharines, a Canadian city about 80 kms (50
miles) away from the Reserve. Perhaps he or she made a simple error. However, it was
typical of this time to inscribe the name of the office holder’s Indian name on the
wampum. Beauchamp (1901) discusses this matter, indicating that the item number 57,
belongs to the writer, and contains a chief’s name (p.349). Thus the Nelles informant
may have been reading the name directly from the wampum strings in their possession,
and is unlikely to have made a mistake. Also, considering that Martin may have been
only vaguely knowledgeable about this rarely used name (Tahanata/Tahatonne), a
spelling irregularity by Martin is entirely possible – since Indian names are frequently
spelled in wildly different ways (see Sievertsen, 1996). There is no compelling reason to
assume that Martin’s version is more likely correct relative to information provided by
Nelles family members. The present author does not recall the name Tahatonne /
Tahanata appearing in any record pertaining to the Mohawks of the Grand River (1790 –
1896) other than the 1815 list and the Nelles obituary – or if so it is not easily
recognizable.
To give two examples of possible earlier instances of the name, on 5 April 1687 a
Mohawk named Tahaiadons offered proposals at a conference in Albany. About 100
2
years later, on the above 1789 deed signed by the Canajoharie Mohawks there is a name,
David Dehanonyantha. His identity is unknown. Phonetically this is similar to, and
perhaps more precisely written, Tahanata (D and T being equivalent in Mohawk). It is
exceedingly difficult even for those who are fluent in the language to determine whether
two Mohawk names are identical, due to spelling and dialectical differences and change
in word meaning over time. One other example of a Six Nations name likely to be
equivalent to Tahanata / Tahatonne was “Tachanuntie or Tachanontia”, an Onondaga
Chief attending the June 1744 Conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was known as
“the Black Prince” due to his African – Indian heritage (Colden, 1747, p.110; Shannon,
2008).
There is also the strong possibility that names introgressed from other Iroquoian Nations
(more on this subject later), especially after the wars of the mid 17th Century when
Iroquoian speaking tribes such as the Huron, Wenro, Attiwandaronk, and Erie were
effectively destroyed, and many of the survivors adopted into member nations of the
Iroquois Confederacy.
Clearly Tahanata is a Six Nations name (Iroquoian language family). For example on 12
July 1742 among the Tuscaroras at a conference in Philadephia was Tahnatakqua. Reg
Henry(see below) told the present author that frequentlyendings such as “ha” to personal
names are dropped in everyday use. An example relating to the Mohawks is Brant
Canagaradunckwa (various spellings). On 23 August 1752 Brant appended a note written
in Mohawk to Conrad Weiser in a letter sent by Daniel Claus. He signed his name
“Kanakaradon” in this document (Kelsay, 1986). He dropped the “ckwa” which is
equivalent to the “kqua” in the name above. Among the Mohawks of the Bear Tribe
from Canajoharie, accompanying Sir William Johnson to Montreal in 1760, was
Johannes Tehanagrackhas. Here the “ckhas” could have been “optional” so if dropped
yielding Tehanaghra. If the last “r” was meant to be a “t” this name would be identical to
Tahanata.
If the chiefship was of ancient lineage, it may have been similar to the others including
Astawenserontha. Most of the chiefly titles never appeared in any of the hundreds of
documents to the end of the 18th Century. This has puzzled historians and led to
questions about the antiquity of the chiefly names associated with the Confederacy
(Shannon, 2008). Perhaps there was a “taboo” to using these names for what might be
called “profane” purposes – such as signing land deeds. The one exception was the head
Turtle Clan chief, Tekarihokea. Most individuals used their name given upon reaching
adulthood. For example David Hill used only Karonghyontye except in the 1789
Canajoharie Upper Mohawk deed where he appears for the Mohawks of the Lower Castle
using both his above name and Astawenserontha – but this was very rare and it appears
that someone else wrote in one or both names (it is not his signature). The 1789
Canajoharie deed includes most of the 9 sachem names (but these names seem to have
been added by a white witness to the document). This practice appears to have changed
prior to the War of 1812. By about 1800 Captain Seth Hill had dropped his old name of
Kanenkaregowagh and was known only by his sachem title Astawenserontha in all
official documents.
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As to the meaning of the name Tahatonne / Tahanata, it is very difficult to obtain a clear
interpretation of the meaning of Mohawk names from many years ago since they are
frequently shrouded in the mists of time. Much depends on which dialect of Mohawk is
used (there being differences in pronunciation and spelling between say Grand River and
Kanawaki); and the languages and dialects spoken by anyone today trying to interpret a
particular spelling of a name. Reg Henry, Cayuga, Six Nations linguist, translated
Tahatonne to possibly mean, "He is coming towards you saying over and
over". However, when hearing Tahanata in association with the above spelling of the
name, Reg said if he was working with a Cayuga or Seneca name it / they would be
closer to Ta ne (on) ta’ ha? which would mean, “(He is Putting) Pine Trees in Between”
(personal communication, 21 November 1980). It is highly likely that the Akwesasne
Mohawk name of the well - known writer Ray Fadden, is equivalent to Tahatonne /
Tahanata. His name was Tehanetorens, which translates to “(He Walks) Through the
Pines” (Indian Country Today, 29 December 2008). Conceptually these are all likely the
same name, with a meaning of something to the effect of “(He is Going) Between the
PineTrees”.
Francis Cotter held the title of Tahatonne / Tahanata in the George Martin document of
1815. Unfortunatelyall documents which have been located and date to this interval were
signed by Chief Cotter using only his non – Native name. Understanding the “Cotter
connection” may be one of the keys to identifying Catharine’s ancestry. Since there is
often missing data or inadequate documentation, an assumption will be made here that by
virtue of the Cotter – Nelles link, that their respective mothers were closely related. A
working hypothesis is that Catharine and Cotter’s mother were sisters. The evidence,
admittedlyall circumstantial,will beexploredthroughout thepresent work.
Francis Cotter’s father was N. Cotter (elsewhere Nicholas), a white man, married to
Margaret, a Lower Mohawk (Claus Papers, MG19, F1, Vol. 21, pt.2, p.85 – no date but
before 27 March 1819). Note that there is a great deal of fluidity in deciding who was
Upper Mohawk (supposedlyfrom Canajoharie) and Lower Mohawk (supposedlyfrom Ft.
Hunter). There are many instances in the various census records for annual annuity
payments where it is noted that by petition a family had changed their affiliation from
onebandtotheother.
Francis Cotter, according to the Six Nations Chiefs on 9 January 1814, was among a
group of Mohawks who acted in an "Unbecoming manner" by refusing to fight the
enemies of the King (during the latter stages of the War of 1812), and so they
recommended that he not receive any of "His Majesty's bounty" – which meant annuity
payments (Johnston, 1964). Cotter and 8 other Mohawk chiefs blamed this schism on the
behavior of the Lower Mohawks formerly of Fort Hunter, where members of the Upper
Mohawks formerly of Canajoharie “are treated like outcasts” (Indian Affairs, RG10
Series, Vol. 118, p. 169562, no date but before 27 November 1818 – Vol. 790, p. 7048).
Francis Cotter was thus an Upper Mohawk chief apparently with ancestral ties to
Canajoharie,althoughhis motheralso hadties totheLowerMohawks –as seenabove.
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The conditions on the Reserve in 1816 and 1817 appear to have been lawless and chaotic,
permeated with factionalism and name-calling. As of about 1816, Cotter appears to have
been "shunned", both via the factionalism within the Mohawk community, and by his
behavior during the War of 1812. The evidence shows that on 17 February1816 Francis
Cotter was still a “Principle Chief” when he signed a certificate – it being noted in a later
addendum that he was among those still living14 April 1835 (Archives of Ontario, Street
Papers, MU2928).
One other reason why Francis Cotter was dissatisfied with his circumstances, was
perhaps that he had expected to be raised up as Astawenserontha. The title was firmlyin
control of the Lower Mohawks. In order to placate Cotter and those who sided with him
(the Upper Mohawks), it may be that the Chiefs decided to elevate Cotter’s personal
name to the chiefly rolls and place him alongside Astawenserontha (as seen on the 1815
George Martin list of Chiefs). If this is correct, then until circa 1814 Tahanata /
Tahatonne was not a chiefly name, it was simply the name of an Upper Mohawk who
was raised up as a chief in order to defuse a potentiallyserious political crisis. Henceit is
likelythat there is no “historyto” the name prior to Cotter. If so, it seems to have been a
futile gesture by the Chiefs since Cotter and family gave up everything a few years after
his installationtomovetotheDetroit areaandjointheWyandots.
Abraham Kennedy Smith of Brantford petitioned in 1843 to have lands he purchased
from Cotter confirmed. On 13 April 1817 Smith paid Margaret Cotter, mother of Chief
Francis Cotter and Nicholas Cotter, Mohawks, for lands near Brantford owned by the
family. The chiefs in council validated the sale on 12 May 1817, but none of the Cotters
were then present (standard in land transactions of this nature), suggesting that they had
moved away in April 1817 (Indian Affairs, RG10 Series, Vol. 120, 8 November 1843, p.
4834). An Indian Department document specifically stated that sometime before 27
November 1818, Francis Cotter had “gone to Detroit” (Indian Affairs, RG10 Series, Vol.
790, p. 7048). He settled among the Wyandots (Hurons) at Amherstberg, Anderdon
Township, Ontario where his son Nicholas was baptized in 1822. Family records give
the name of the wife of Francis Cotter as Catherine Brown, a Wyandot of the Turtle Clan.
His first son Francis Jr. was said to have been born in 1813 in “Toronto” (which to the
Oklahoma informant may have been a generic statement for “Canada”). However the
1843 Wyandot rolls of those moving to Kansas shows Francis Cotter Jr. to be under age
25, so likely born in Anderdon Township. The Cotters were also involved in one wayor
another with the Wyandot Upper Sandusky settlement. For example Francis was a
member of a six man firing squad who executed a convicted murderer in that community
(Sturtevant,1978)). All ofthesewereintheDetroit area.
It is clearly established that in 1836 all of the Cotter family were residents of
Amherstburg when on 23 September 1836 “F. Cotter” signed a deed which alienated the
north and south thirds of the Anderdon Reserve. On 26 September 1836 a group ofseven
“Warriors” of the Wyandot, not present during the first signing, which included Anthony
Cotter, Nicholas Cotter and Francis Cotter, signified their approval of the deal (these and
similardocuments arefoundontheWyandotte-nation.orgwebsite).
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It maybe instructive to look for a reason as to whythe Cotter familywere able to transfer
their allegiance from the Mohawks to the Wyandot so quickly. One could infer that
Francis Cotter, although at one time an Upper Mohawk chief, had an ancestral connection
to the Wyandot. It is possible that his mother, as was thecasewithmanyMohawks inthe
mid to late 18th Century, spent her early years in the “Old Northwest”. We will see that
the proposed father of Margaret, the mother of Francis Cotter, was an ambassador to the
Huron/ Wyandot oftheDetroit andSanduskyareas.
There is no evidence that Francis Cotter Sr. was ever a chief of the Wyandot. In effect he
gave up a role as a principal chief of the Six Nations to become a “rank and file” member
of the Wyandot. He and his family joined the majority of Wyandot, and migrated to
Kansas in July 1843 also with many of their fellow tribal members from Upper
Sandusky, settling on the Wyandotte Purchase in Kansas where Cotter died 29 September
1852(William WalkerJr.Diary).
As noted above, doubtless upon departure from the Grand River (or perhaps before)
Cotter would have been "dehorned" (a form of impeachment), or he voluntarily turned in
his wampum credentials - his chiefship removed and given to an available candidate from
within the matrilineal family. Most likelyit was due to his removal to the Detroit area to
join the Wyandots that resulted in Cotter’s loss of his Mohawk sachemship. He was
clearly frustrated by the factionalism among the Mohawk, and opted for a refuge
elsewhere. The obituary informants said that the reason for Nelles’ assuming the
Tahatonne / Tahanata title was due to the “death of the old chief”, clearly an error, but
understandable since this was the reason for a new chief to be installed in the vast
majorityofinstances.
Exploring the apparent Mohawk – Wyandot link via the title Tahatonne / Tahanata may
be productive. It is also of some interest that by1750 the Wyandot had three clangroups,
the Turtle, Deer and Wolf. The Deer included the Bear, Beaver, Deer, Porcupine and
Snake clans. At this time there was a council of chiefs from each clan chosen by clan
mothers as with the Six Nations. However an individual was elected from among this
group as head chief, and by custom was from Bear clan, but later the Deer clan due to a
lack of suitable candidates (Powell, 1880). If this tradition was still active in 1815,
perhaps Francis Cotter of the Bear clan was elected to represent the Wyandot faction at
Six Nations, as over the years (particularly the late 1650s), the Iroquois had taken
Wyandot (Huron)captives andhad“adopted”theseas Mohawks.
In looking at the record of chiefs at Detroit (Amherstburg), there are Wyandot names that
could well be equivalent to Tahatonne / Tahanata, based on the assumption that it may
have introgressed into the Mohawk sachem group via Huron captives. For example in
1757 Tahaddy a Wyandot chief who met with Sir William Johnson; 1780 Dawaton (the
Sastaretsi); 1782 Dewatonte or Dawatong (the Sastaretsi or second head chief) – these all
being from the Detroit area (Busar, 2007). The Chief Tehaawtorens who signed a Treaty
in 1789 has a name remarkably similar to the much later spelling of the name of Ray
Fadden - Tehanetorens. Similarly in 1805 we find “Tahunehawettee or Adam Brown”.
Unfortunately translations of these names are not available. Thus, in relation to the two
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matrilinealy inherited Mohawk Bear Clan associated names which are linked with the
Hill,Cotter,andYoung–Nelles families:
Astawenserontha = “(HeEnters)WearingRattles”(MohawkLeague
sachem name).
Tahatonne/ Tahanata= “(Heis Going)BetweenthePineTrees”(Mohawkname
tiedtotheabovebut withanas yet unspecifiedconnection
totheWyandot).
WarnerHenryNelles was born2May1799so iftheCotters left inApril of1817,andhe
was installedsoon thereafter,Nelles wouldindeedhavebeenage17preciselyas the
obituaryreported. This fact adds external validationtothecontent oftheNelles obituary.
Hence in April 1817 either Margaret Cotter, and/or other Clan Matrons, or Elizabeth
(Young) Nelles, selected a member of the Astawenserontha Bear Clan with “Beaver
Tribe” connections (see below) to fill the vacancy. The candidate picked was the second
born son of Elizabeth (Young) Nelles, Warner H. Nelles. There is little to suggest that
the individual chosen to be a sachem had to be the eldest son. This was true in the case
of Seth Hill, but his uncle David Hill was the youngest son. It should be noted here that
there is no specific evidence that Margaret was the sister of Catharine, it is merelyone of
anumberofpossibilities. Clearlyshewas relatedinsomewaythroughthematernal line.
The Identity of the Beaver Tribe: There are various census lists of the tribes along the
Grand River from 1784 to the 1860s (e.g., Johnston, 1964). None include a specifically
denoted “Beaver Tribe”. Perhaps the “Beaver Tribe” was an extended familygroup such
those recorded 27 March 1819 (Claus Papers, MG19, F1, Vol. 21, pt.2, p.86) including
“Peg Symington Canada” (Lower Mohawks) and the “St. Regis Family” (St. Regis or
Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve also comprised of Abenaki and Onondaga). However it is
noteworthy that in this document, contemporary with the installation of Nelles, there was
no group denominated specifically as ”the Beavers” or the “Beaver Tribe”. It is
important to note that the terms tribe and clan were generally interchangeable. Typically
in the 19th Century and earlier “Tribe” meant what is today termed “Clan”. Today there
are only three Mohawk clans / tribes (Turtle, Wolf and Bear). The question is whether
there was ever a Beaver tribe / clan grouping among the Mohawks, specificallythe Upper
Mohawks. Clearly Cotter’s and thus Nelles’ maternal Tribe / Clan was Bear
(Astawenserontha), Lower Mohawk according to Seth Newhouse as noted earlier, and the
same family grouping as per the Patrick Campbell Diary (1792) also referred to
previously, but they may have represented a group with a link in common to a “tribe”
knownas the“Beavers”.
Documents signed in the Mohawk Valley in the 18th Centuryshow that in addition to the
“big three” among the Mohawk, there were, several sub – tribes, as the Beaver, the Elk,
the Serpent, the Porcupine, and the Fox, as shown by deeds of record, of which the most
frequently met is that of the Beaver (Proceedings of the New York State Historical
Society, 1906). In the previous century, a Dutch map of 1614 showed 8 Mohawk
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villages, and 100 years later there are onlythree (Snow et al., 1996). In 1634, at a time of
great upheavals due to the epidemics, the original 8 had collapsed to 4 settlements. In
1634 Schanatisse had 32 longhouses. This village was situated on a “veryhigh hill” west
of Canahoharie Creek. It is supposedtohavebeenthecastleof theBeaver tribe–asub –
gens (Ibid). The location fits with the Allen archaeological site, west of modern
Canajoharie, and about 2 miles inland (see Snow et al., 1996). However, by the time of
Greenhalgh’s visit in 1677, Shanatisse was not recorded. The researchers at the Three
Rivers website noted that, Shanatisse, the Castle of the Beaver Tribe, who apparently
joined the Bear Tribe upon the destruction of their Castle. During the attack by the
French 16 February 1693 the three villages on the north side of the River, Caughnawaga,
Canagora, and Tionontegen were burned. A castle on the south side of the Mohawk, said
to have been two miles inland, escaped. Presumably it was the village of the Beaver
family, but we have nothing further concerning it (Ibid). The Bear Tribe is associated
with Canagora (Canajoharie), or the western (Upper) Castle. Here, if this is correct, the
Bear and Beaver merged about 1666, but the Beavers retained some degree of autonomy
inthe18th Century,andtheNelles obituarywouldsuggest,perhaps, intothe19th Century.
Beauchamp, in discussing the aboriginal use of wood in New York, described an artifact,
showing a Bear on a wampum belt which he holds in his paws to avenge the death of
some one and he is conferring about it withhis brother, theBeaver. Hefurthernotedthat
a, Council of War between the tribe of the Bear and that of the Beaver, they are brothers
(Figure78).
Although Huron / Wyandot captives were being brought to the countryof the Six Nations
over an extended period, there was one event which had perhaps the most profound effect
and may relate directly to the story here. In 1657 the Mohawks “convinced” an entire
tribe of Hurons residing on L’Isle d’Orleans near Quebec City to come and live in
Mohawk country. The Bear Tribe (Attignawantan) of the Huron / Wyandot, the once
most powerful tribal unit, chose to become Mohawk. The Rock Tribe opted to join
countrymen among the Onondaga. The Cord Tribe remained with the French to take
their chances among the French. As noted earlier, the Deer Tribe joined the Seneca in
1651. The Bear Tribe comprised initiallya fourth village among the three alreadysettled
by Mohawks (and likelymanyHuron / Wyandot captives). Apparentlythese groups may
include those who fit into the Young family saga. It was reported that in the 1660s that
two thirds of the Caughnawaga Castle along the Mohawk River was comprised of Huron
/ Wyandot and Algonquin immigrants or captives (see Snow et al., 1996). The record
clearly indicates continuing contacts between all Huron – Wyandot descendants. Some
Huron / Wyandot, who had joined the Onondagas (Rock Tribe etc.), later lived amongthe
Mohawk in Canada (e.g., Kanawaki; St. Regis - Akwesasne) and some later came to the
Mohawk Valley communities, which were clearly a hodge podge, a complex mixture of
ethnicities and clans. Another Wyandot “infusion” occurred in 1697 when a Wyandot
chief known to the French as Le Baron Escoutache brought his followers from
MichilimackinactobeadoptedbytheSix Nations in1697(Mann,2001).
What is interesting and likely relevant here is that the Huron / Wyandot adopted the
beaver as their national symbol. Sioui (1999) stated, It is not unrealistic to say that in
8
both their physical organization and social vision, the Wendats were naturallyinclinedto
take the beaver as their model. This animal was their political emblem (pp. 93-4). Since
at least the days of the early French missions, the Wyandots considered the beaver to
represent many concrete and abstract elements of Wyandot life, including the beaver
lodge symbolically representing the Wyandot village (Sioui, 1999, p.94). Although they
self – identified as the Nation of the Beaver, it does not appear that many if any other
nations usedthat term inreferencetoWyandots.
It is the opinion of the present author that the beaver was, considering Sioui’s
information, the symbol of the Wyandot and their descendants among the Six Nations –
at least amongtheMohawk,probablybecauseit was thenumericallylargest clan.
At the individual level, in the many hundreds of documents the present author has
explored relating to the Mohawks, after about 1750 only Nicholas Brant Canadiorha
(Captain Joseph Brant’s step – brother) was clearly listed on a deed as “of the Beaver”
(Halsey, 1901, p. 158; Lyman Draper Manuscripts). At that time it appears that all
Mohawks were, at least at the official level, integrated intoeithertheTurtle,WolforBear
Clans. Although Nicholas may have been born of the Beaver Clan probably originally
among the Wyandot descendants, he was affiliated with the Mohawk Bear Clan (e.g.,
being on a list of Bear Clan members who accompanied Sir William Johnson to Montreal
in 1760). His father Brant Canagaradunckwa was of the Bear Clan (Minutes of the
Pennsylvania Provincial Council, Vol. 6, 9 July 1754, p. 128), as was Nicholas’ wife
Margaret (as noted below). It would have been unacceptable for his father to marry
someone of the Bear Clan; or for Nicholas himself to marry a woman of the Bear Clan if
in fact he was born to the Bear Clan (clan exogamy being expected and the practice
almost always followed). There were only three official clans, and linking up with the
father’s clan was probably acceptable under these circumstances (e.g., war parties).
Sievertsen (1996) provides examples where sons not only became associated with their
father’s clan, but also assumed his Mohawk name. Nicholas was born circa 1727, at a
timewhentheBeaverClanwas still formallyrecognized,particularlyat Canajoharie.
As noted above, in a document of 1760, “Nicolas Brant” was described as “of the
Beaver”. Two documents indicate that this connection was probably to the Huron /
Wyandot. On 21 May 1765, John Campbell wrote to Sir William Johnson from Detroit
stating that, Two days ago Nicolas a Mohawk, a Wyandot of Sanduskey, and two Canada
Indians came in to me in company with four Chiefs of the Hurons of this place (JP, Vol.
11, p. 744). On 8 June 1766, the Mohawks showed Sir William Johnson, the Belts they
intended to send to the Huron Nation by one of their Chiefs going that way, namely,
Nickus alias Kanadyora (JP, Vol. 12, p. 122). Hence it would appear that Nicholas Brant
was an ambassador to the Huron / Wyandot, doubtless spoke their language, and may
have had some unspecified connection with the Huron / Wyandots ofSanduskyOhio,and
Detroit (whichincludes Amherstburg,Anderdon,Ontario).
One interpretation here is that the Cotter - Nelles sachemship may have encompassed a
group of Mohawk families all of whom were descendants of Brant Canagaradunkwa’s
family (or related Huron / Wyandots), where all three of his (Brant Canagaradunkwa’s)
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wives appear to have had Wyandot links. His first wife (who was the mother of
Nicholas), Catharine Tagganakwari, was of a clan not included among the three Mohawk
clans which points to her likelyhavingbeen Wyandot / Huron, particularlywith reference
to the comments to follow relating to the ancestry of the Brants. His second wife,
Christina of the Turtle Clan, was the daughter of Taquayanont, a sachem of the Serpent
Clan from Canada (Caughnawaga) residing at Wilden Hook in the Schoharie settlement;
and whose family played an important role in Colonial politics as friends of Conrad
Weiser. The third spouse was Margaret, the mother of Joseph Brant and Molly Brant,
who was supposed to be a descendant of Huron captives, adopted into the Mohawks, on
both sides of the family, and who had relatives in Caughnawaga, Canada and among the
Cayugas (Kelsay, 1986) - Joseph and his sister Molly adopted their step-father’s name.
Informants on the Six Nations Reserve have told the author that there are still to this day
families ontheReservewhorecognizetheirconnectiontotheWyandot.
Nicholas Brant’s Native name was Canadiorha. To complicate matters, the name among
the Mohawk appears to be linked also to the Onondaga. In Evert Wendell's account book
(Waterman, 2008) there is an entry of 1698 for an “Onondaga boy”, Kanaedeijorhae.
The translator of Mohawk names (Gunther Michelson) knew of Canadiorha in later
records as a Mohawk, but he concluded that the name should be classified as Onondaga
(see note 269). Nicholas was perhaps a descendant of Huron / Wyandot ancestors
perhaps adopted into the Onondaga. This Onondaga boy appears on the Mohawk page,
folio 18, page 36. The editor believes that Wendell was in Mohawk country when he
made this entry in 1698. If born about 1685 he may have been a brother to Brant
Canagaradunkwa’s wife Catharine in the maternal line, and she later named a son after
her brother. Catharine’s mother Maria was one of the most frequently appearing
individuals in Wendell’s accounts. Both she and her husband Asa Onasiatekha had many
entries including lengthy transactions related to their joint and separate trade missions to
Canada. It should be noted, however, that there was a Jacob Canadiorha, an Oneida,
residing in the Susquehanna River area (Onaquaga). Hence, many Six Nations names
haveasimilarorevenexact equivalent amongotherIroquoianspeakingNations.
John Norton reported in his diary that Joseph Brant's ancestors on both the mother and
father's side were Wyandot (Huron) captives adopted bythe Mohawk. Joseph, although a
step – son of Brant Canagaradunckwa, adopted Brant’s first name as a surname. The
Onondaga adopted many Huron after the raids of the 1640s, as did the Mohawk. Joseph
Brant's son Joseph also reported to William Allen that his father's step-fatherwas achief
who was denominated an Onondaga Indian (Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. V,
“Thanendanegea”). Both Canagaradunckwa (the Indian name of Joseph Brant’s step –
father) and Canadiorha appear to have disappeared with the deaths of Brant and Nicholas,
despite the prominence of both individuals, possibly because both were Wyandot in
origin (e.g., neither are found in the Seth Newhouse list of ClanandFamilynames among
theMohawk).
In exploring the Wyandot – Onondaga – Mohawk connection, the following observations
may or may not be relevant. Among the Onondaga the head chief is Atotarho. Also
sachems, but linked as “cousins” and holding a special relationship to Atotarho, are
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